Skin Deep
by Nuggyy
Summary: Zelda's worst enemy is the mirror. It dares to show her all the red spots on her face, to expose her flaws. Then, Zelda meets a new enemy.. One that has pledged since the beginning of time to bring demise to Hyrule, and to the predecessors of the Triforce. (Cross posted from AO3)
1. Prologue

Rain was pouring down fast as she ran from the spawn of evil that chased her with their sharp fangs bared, thirsting for blood. Some monsters were short and pig-like, others twice the size of her with long arms and snouts. She was sure there were others too but she didn't want to risk slowing down by looking back.

She came to a stop when she arrived at the front gates to- what looked like her mansion. A man faced her.

He was tall- nearly twice her height, rippled with muscle, a long, pointy nose and… yellow eyes. She noticed his skin had somewhat of a green tint to it.. Possibly a Gerudo man? But they were only borne every one-hundred years…

Her eyebrows knitted together with fear.. A blinding fear that made her heart freeze, and eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. The man's lips slowly curved into a sinewy smile, one that sent ice-cold chills down her spine.

Black and purple smoke came out from around the man and wrapped around him, shielding his face temporarily before moving away from him and growing larger in the sky. His eyes were now a glowing purple that seemed to be made of flames. He slowly pointed up above him. Zelda's eyes locked onto his index finger, and slowly, traveled up until she was looking right above her.

The moon was blood red, and the sky was overcast with purple and black smoke. Behind the mansion, a horrifying flying thing with a pig like face with glowing maroon eyes and a body made of the smoke flew out, letting out a loud, guttural screech. It locked eyes with her, and flew right towards her.

The blonde girl squeezed her eyes shut, and clenched her body in fear as she was enveloped in purple malice.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP….

Zelda's stately alarm clock rang on and on, the sound freeing her from her nightmare. Her eyes shot open, and heavy breaths escaped from her lungs.

She's been having these dreams for quite a few months now. Each scarier than the last. She has never seen the Gerudo man's face in such detail before.

She let a groan escape her lips. She swung a heavy arm towards her table, hitting the side of her still-beeping clock.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP-

She hit it again, this time sweeping the alarm clock. It flew off of the table and crashed onto the floor.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP….

Somehow, the blasted thing was still beeping!

Zelda leaped out of bed and lunged at the clock, swinging down her fist onto the huge "SNOOZE" button. Blissful silence followed, making her sigh contently. The clock read 7:30, and school started in precisely an hour, so Zelda decided to get cracking.

She stood up, and shuffled her bunny-slippered feet into her private bathroom. It was big, and to her dismay, had a huge window in the front, which let in a lot of light. Light, was Zelda's worse enemy. Natural light seemed to make her skin look worse, more red than it was in normal, indoor lighting. Needless to say, Zelda avoided time outside as much as possible.

Zelda braced herself to look up, at her reflection.

She was a positively radiant girl, her father argued she was the most beautiful girl in all of Hyrule. Her mother said she was more beautiful than the fabled Goddess Hylia.

Zelda had thick, waist-length hair that looked as if it was spun gold. Her beautiful, green eyes, sparkled with kindness, and radiated mystery. Her shapely lips curved into an angelic smile that brought glee to peoples faces, especially her father.

Zelda's eyebrows knitted together, her lips quivering a little bit. Even after five years, she somehow wasn't prepared for what she saw in the mirror daily.

But, her blemished skin soiled her beautiful features.

There were red marks etched deep into the skin on both her cheeks, forehead, chin, and even her upper lip, leaving no visible patch of clear skin. Some were swollen and inflamed, others just scars, refusing to leave even after years of being gone. She leaned in closer to the mirror, and noticed this slightly red patch above her right cheekbone, and gently felt it with her index finger. She felt a big bump, foretelling of a huge cystic pimple that would soon rear its ugly head out to the world, causing even more embarrassment for her.

Hot tears drizzled down her cheek, clinging onto her jaw before falling onto the floor. Crying was a usual daily routine for Zelda, her skin often leaving her feel ashamed.

She let a heavy sigh escape from her lips, and washed her face. Scrubbing her skin vigorously, as if she could scrub the spots off her face.

Instead of scrubbing off the marks, they just got more red.

Everyday, she would begin the meticulous task of carefully crafting a "second skin", applying ten pounds of makeup (which toke around twenty-seven minutes of her morning). She reached into her closet and grabbed her big, black makeup bag. It was surprisingly heavy.

She brushed on a thick layer of foundation. It toke a lot of product to cover her entire face. Her cheeks often needed a second, even a third layer.

Most of her spots were still red, so she dabbed on concealer over her spots (that now had a purple-ish tint). Her heart felt heavy. After many layers of foundation and concealer, her marks were still quite visible, albeit better than they were before. Zelda sighed (something she did a lot), and set her makeup with powder, being careful to tap her skin rather than sweep it, lest her makeup be brushed off. She left the bathroom with a smidgen of confidence…

Better than usual.

After following the rest of her morning routine, she had her driver take her to school. Zelda braced herself for another dull, uneventful day of keeping her head down and avoiding eye contact, bright lights, and the Girl's Washroom… Little did she know, her day would bring a surprise.


	2. New Kid

He was a short, stout man, with thick round glasses perched high on his bulbous nose. His voice was monotonous, and her classmates usually ignored him.

He began a lecture about tireless frogs. Zelda fixed her posture, and clasped together her hands on her desk.

He was interrupted several times by snickering. Zelda glanced to her left, and saw Groose and his buddies poking each other and laughing. She rolled her eyes and directed her attention back to her science teacher. Groose is always messing around.. usually trying to get Zelda's attention.

A few minutes later, Groose threw a crumpled-up piece of paper at him. Both Zelda and Mr. Williams shot around to look at the class clown. The class simultaneously laughed.

Groose directed his gaze at Zelda and winked. She scoffed, and turned her head opposite of him, scowling.

Mr. Williams was about to march over to Groose when the door opened.

Zelda (and the rest of her class) peered over to the door. A boy, pretty short at maybe five foot eight walked in. He stoically glanced across the room, before settling his gaze on Zelda.

He had the most beautiful cornflower blue eyes she had ever seen, framed by thick, dark lashes. His thick, long dirty-blonde hair looked messy, but in a "I purposely frazzled up my hair to look cool" kinda way. His eyebrows were furrowed a bit, but upon seeing Zelda they seemed to relax, and raised a bit. He had a beautiful tan, shown off by his cargo shorts and blue t-shirt (that matched his beautiful eyes). He looked familiar...

Zelda started to blush. She awkwardly averted her gaze, and Mr. Williams cleared his throat.

"Ah, you must be Link!" He mused. "Class, this is or new student, Link. He came here from military school."

The whole class gave their full attention to Link, even Groose.

Link seemed to tense up, as if all the eyes upon him were suffocating him.

Mr. Williams looked around, and pointed to the desk beside Zelda. "Mr. Link, you may take that seat right there."

He nodded at him and quickly toke his seat, placing his green backpack on the ground between his shins.

Zelda turned her head opposite of him. She didn't want him to see her skin. Mr. Williams cleared his threat once again, and began his lesson.

They were to study tireless frogs, and later dissect them. They were told to choose a partner. Zelda flushed with embarrassment. She didn't have any friends in this class... her only friends were Mipha, Revali, Daruk, and her Best Friend Urbosa. But, they were all away.

She always felt as if she should have more friends. Everyone in the school knew her, being the daughter of the monarch of hyrule. But, she supposed it also distanced her from others.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Groose making his way towards her. She'd rather stay in solidarity confinement for one-hundred years than be partnered with that oaf.

So, she leaned over to Link, and his ear twitched, probably sensing her movement.

"H-hey, I don't think there's anyone left to partner with, so.. do you maybe want to be m-my partner?" She stuttered out. She glanced at Groose, and he scowled and huffed back to his desk.

When Link didn't answer, and just blankly stared at her, Zelda began to panic. was he grossed out at her skin..? Or maybe he just didn't hear her?

"Um, L-Link, was it?" She asked "I am Zelda."

His eyes seemed to widen with interest at her name.

"I don't think there's anyone left, so... partners?" Link nodded. "Okay, cool." Zelda was relieved he responded to her this time.

"So, did you know what we're doing?" She asked.

Link shook his head.

"Oh uh, okay. So basically, we're studying tireless frogs. And we're to dissect them later, and write a report on them." Zelda explained to him.

He blinked. Zelda wondered why he wasn't speaking. "Umm.. if you don't mind me asking, why are you being so quiet?" His shoulders tensed, and he cleared his throat a little, just like Mr. Williams.

"I don't like to talk much." His voice was a little shaky, perhaps from not using it much. It was deep too, lower than most boys, even the seniors.

"Oh, well that's alright," she said. He looked like he was going to talk more, when the warning bell rang for next class.

"Oh, it looks like this class is over" Zelda pointed out while packing her binder up. "Do you know where your next class is?" Link shook his head.

"Oh, could I see your schedule? I'll direct you to your next class if you'd like." She offered. Link dug into his backpack and produced a crinkled piece of paper.

She analyzed the sheet, and her eyes narrowed with suspicion. They had all the same classes?

"Wow, link.. we have all the same classes together." She remarked breathlessly. Link nodded his head, like he expected to have the same schedule as her.

"Well, just stick with me today, I guess." She said, and they did. Even at lunch. Yet, he didn't say another word to her, she even had to speak for him to their teachers. He also never smiled once. It was as if his lips were drawn on by a permanent sharpie.

When she arrived at home, her father requested to speak with her.

"Ah Zelda, there you are. Come in, I'd like to speak with you." His father asked, as if he were requesting a meeting with counsel. She hated how formal he could be sometimes, but I suppose, as the monarch of Hyrule, such formality is required.

She did as he asked and sat down on the lavish red chair in his study.

"So, you know how the.. 'activity' of the Yiga Clan is growing, yes?" Zelda nodded her head. She smiled, reminding herself of Link. "Well, they are now threatening to... behead us." A look of confusion and fear flashed over her face. She knew the Clan were against her father, being the monarch of Hyrule... but she didn't expect any assassination threats!

"As such, I think it wise to appoint you a guard, for your protection. He should be here shortly, so you can meet him." He said.

"Father, is it really necessary!? Are they that dangerous?" She asked.

Her father nodded his head slowly. "My dear girl, I'm afraid so. But fear not, he is most capable, despite his young appearance."

She nodded her head slowly, processing the fact that her life could potentially be in danger.

They turned at the door, someone knocked.

"Ah, that should be him right now," he said.

Zelda straightened her back, anxious to meet the man she would entrust her life with.


	3. Bodyguard

Familiar cornflower blue eyes met her own jade-colored ones.

"Link..?" Zelda gasped. "Father, what is he doing here?"

Her father looked surprised. "You already know this young man?" He asked, Zelda nodded and told him of Link's attendance to her school. "I suppose there is no need for a proper introduction then. Zelda, Link will be your bodyguard."

She blinked. _Him? But, he's so… young. And small!_

"But father, Link is only seventeen!" She cried. "How would he be eligible to protect me?"

"Link is actually twenty. He just finished military training a month ago." Rhoam answered.

Before Zelda could interject once again, the door burst open, and a man walked in, seemingly full of energy. Link quietly trailed in behind him.

"Heya Mr. Bosphoramus! Sorry I'm late, I had to talk with Impa about something." He said, all out of breath. Zelda recognized him as her father's bodyguard. He was very tall, easily over six-feet, With short brown hair and stubble, thick eyebrows, and a very muscular physique. He shared the same beautiful blue eyes with Link. Even as a middle-aged man, he was still incredibly handsome.

"Ah, how rude of me not to greet you, _Miss Zelda Boshporamus_!" He said, once spotting Zelda. His handsome eyebrows lifted up in sudden realization. "Oh, I'm doubly rude today! I forgot to introduce you to my son, Link."

"Link, yes. I already know of him," Zelda was mildly shocked at how haughty she sounded just then. "He, although being twenty, attends my school for some particular reason," Link's father's exhilarated expression wilted into a stoic one.

"Let me explain. Link is temporarily attending your senior year with you so that he can be by your side at all times. The Yiga Clan's threats have been more aggressive lately, and I suggested he stay with you at all times to ensure your safety." He reasoned.

"-And I agree with my guard," Rhoam added. "You must be protected at all times, being my future successor." His voice held a somber note then. Her father always complained of not having a son to take over the Monarchy.

Zelda glanced at Link. There was a faraway look in his eyes, and she couldn't read how he was feeling. She guessed he was upset. _He doesn't want to do this either, how are we to get along, then?_

Their father's talked a while, and Zelda toned them out, staring at her thumbs. Link remained standing straight, with his hands on his belt, as if awaiting instruction. She risked taking a glance at him. He was incredibly handsome… like his father. Zelda imagined his strong hands cupping her cheeks, as they stood on Lurelin Beach, watching the sunset. Her skin would be spotless. he would brush back her golden hair, and plant a kiss on her lips… She abruptly shook her head.

 _He's twenty years old Zelda! Three years your senior, an adult! What would Urbosa think?! … she would probably congratulate me... But, he's my bodyguard, I can't think like this! He looks… stupid. Yeah, that's more like it. I'll call him 'Stupid'._

"So, we're going to take our leave, Mr Rhoam. Link and I are going to the shooting range tonight, gotta prep him for tomorrow!" He joked, with a hearty laugh.

"Ah, thank you very much, and Link, I look forward to wording with you - or rather - _Zelda_ looks forward to working with you." Rhoam said, standing up to shake their hands. "Say good-bye Zelda," She rolled her eyes and gave her father a death-glare.

"Goodbye." She spat, her face turning red. Link's father laughed _again,_ his laughter making Zelda annoyed. He and his son walked out the door. " _good riddance, Stupid."_ She mumbled under her breath.

Not two seconds later, the door swung open again, and Link's father popped out.

"Oh yeah, Link will be here at eight o'clock sharp to pick you up, Miss Zelda." He said, leaning on the door handle, before shutting it.

Zelda sighed. She'd have to spend the morning drive to school with Stupid, too. She liked calling him stupid. ' _Link_ ' would make her heart flutter. ' _Stupid_ ', was funny. "Excuse me, father. I'm going to retire to my room." Her father nodded and dismissed her.

She ran up her stairs, skipping two steps at a time. Zelda burst into her room, slamming the door, and flopped onto her bed. She let out a groan, and reached for her iSlate, dialing Urbosa's cell. She didn't expect an answer, as she had been training and hasn't texted her much in two weeks, so when the familiar "Hello?" rang into her ears, Zelda was surprised.

"Urbosa!" She exclaimed.

"Zelda, sorry I haven't phoned you in so long. Training has been hard." Her voice seemed fatigued. "So, what's up?"

"Oh, Urbosa. You won't believe what has happened!" She hummed, prompting Zelda to continue.

"So, you know how the Yiga Clan have become more bold with their actions lately? Well, my father hired a _bodyguard_ to protect me! He's twenty, and he's in all of my classes, just to make sure I'm always ' _protected_ '."

"Woah, Zelly. Is he hot?" Her friend cheekily asked. Zelda froze a moment, deciding whether or not she should through her phone across the room or not.

"H-he is most decidedly not!" Zelda squealed.

"Your squeaky voice tells me otherwise," Urbosa said, winking on the other side of the phone.

Zelda was quiet a moment. "Well, he's not _bad,_ I suppose.. B-but! He's _twenty, an adult!"_

Urbosa just chuckled. There was a man yelling on her side of the phone. "Oh, I have to go, I'm heading to Hyrule now! I'll see you tomorrow, _princess."_

Zelda sighed. She had only talked to Urbosa for barely a minute, and now she had to go. Plus, she called her _princess._ She hated that. Everyone at the school would call Zelda princess, as she was the monarch's daughter, and they thought her spoiled. She hated being associated with such a regal name, because she felt nothing like "royalty". She had never heard of a princess with _acne_.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," She said, hanging up the phone. Zelda decided to study.

She pulled out a book regarding Tireless Frog's and began to read. " _Tireless Frogs… Under certain circumstances…. Can grant patient more stamina… Used by Ancient Hero of Old…"_ Zelda read aloud. She let out a huge yawn, and allowed herself to shut her eyes and rest her head on her pillow. She must have fallen asleep then, because when she woke uop, it was two o'clock in the morning.

She got up and went to her bathroom to wash her face. It was pitch black, which Zelda liked, but she had to turn on the lights so that she could see what she was doing.

The brightness of the light temporarily blinded her, she opened her eyes and avoided her gaze of the mirror, and grabbed her face wash. She splashed lukewarm water on her face and rubbed, then rinsed. Out of curiosity, she looked at the mirror.

Zelda's face was reddened, her spots angry and flaring from the harsh rubbing. The sight made her heart sink, and her eyes watered. She reached for the light switch and turned it off. She brushed her teeth in the dark, before retiring to bed with a heavy heart, and the hope that it would be better in the morning.

Zelda awoke an hour after usual.

"Stupid alarm clock!" She yelled.

In a panic, she ran into the bathroom and washed her face as quickly as possible. As soon as she finished drying, she slopped on some moisturizer and some foundation. It seemed as if the makeup didn't cover her skin _at all_ , but rather gave her marks a purple-ish tint. She dabbed on a thick layer of concealer over her the now-purple spots, looking cakey, but at least covering them better. Zelda thought she looked decent from far away, at least.

She ran her brush through her hair a couple of times, not enough to make it look shiny, but enough get the tangles out. Zelda applied deodorant and a peachy-smelling _eau de parfume_ to her wrists.

She picked out a simple blue skirt and white blouse to wear, but forgot she had left her favourite bra on her bed.

 ** _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_**

Zelda froze. "J-just a minute!" She stammered, struggling to pull on her bra, just as Link came in.

Their eyes locked and both were rendered speechless. Link's gaze automatically trailed down to her half-naked frame, before he snapped into realization and squeezed his eyes shut.

"S-s-sorry! I- I thought you said-"

"O-out please!" Zelda awkwardly interrupted. Link nodded and stumbled out the door.

Zelda was still in shock, absolutely horrified, and she felt her face was hotter than Death Mountain. She slowly dressed, grabbed her schoolbag, and left her room. Link was just outside, he didn't look at her, but lead her to his truck. It was a red pickup, old looking too. Zelda found herself fascinated by the truck. She had always been interested in vehicles, she supposed, and thus joined Auto-Mechanics in school this year.

They hopped in, and before Link started the engine, he turned towards Zelda, although not looking at her face, but rather past her.

"Um, I'm sorry…" He mumbled. His voice was somewhat shaky, maybe awkward from misuse. It was also very deep, that of a man's. She forgot how old he was, because of his short stature.

"It's okay, let's forget about it and move on," Zelda suggested. He nodded, and started his pickup.

It was a long, silent ride, both were still a little traumatized from earlier. Zelda just played on her iSlate most of the time, browsing PictoGram for cat memes. She loved cats, and has always wanted one. But her father's response to; _"Can we get one?"_ was always the same. A flat out " _No."_ After a long time, Zelda gave up. She sighed and looked out the window. Hyrule's high school was on _The Great Plateau,_ a sacred place, said to once have been and old civilization. There was a primary school, secondary school, and a college. They were surrounded by a forest, mountain, and dorms outside the University.

Most spectacular though, was the Temple of Time, which held ceremonies on the first Sunday of each month to worship the Goddess. It was said to stand there for tens of thousands of years, held together by some spectacular old magic, the scholars mused. But Zelda just assumed it was just the craftsmanship of Bolson Construction, the oldest service in Hyrule.

Link drove up to the school, and parked the pickup near the entrance. He grabbed Zelda's bag and hopped out the door, making his way over to the passenger side to open Zelda's door.

"Chivalry is dead." She stated, opening the door before he could. Link rolled his eyes, and shoved her schoolbag into her chest. "Ah! Link what the-"

"I thought you said chivalry was dead, _princess._ " Link simply said. Zelda scowled, and toke off for the door. Link followed her, two paces behind her. She opened the door to the school and nearly shut it on his face. She kept glancing behind her, just to see Link creepily following her.

"Stop following me!" She commanded. Link just stared at her, looking confused. "Run off, go away!"

He shook his head.

"Well, at least walk _beside_ me, people will get suspicious if you just walk behind me." Zelda said, noticing the odd stares of others. Link quickened his pace so he could walk alongside her. She tightened at his close proximity, looking down at the ground. The bright lights accentuated her skin, and Hylia know's what her skin looks like under such a harsh light.

 _No, Zelda. Who cares if Stupid sees your skin? It's not like he didn't see all of it this morning! … But I do care... Pathetic._ She sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

Zelda arrived at her locker, and grabbed her gym bag. Link, just stood by her locker, surveying the bay. It seemed as if everyone was staring at him. He ignored it and continued to scan the room for any Yiga members, and escape routes, if needed. He jumped a bit at the slamming of her locker, which made Zelda snicker.

"It's P.E., let's go." She practically ordered. Link silently followed her.

Gym was an ordeal. They were to run four laps around the school, and Zelda _hated_ running. The natural light was one thing, making the marks on her skin more visible, but there was also the sweating. She couldn't afford to let her makeup run off, so she usually went at a jogging pace, and switched to walking when she got hot. Zelda didn't get much exercise, much to her father's dismay, so she was walking a lot of the time.

Link followed her the whole run. Zelda hated running in groups, unless it was with Urbosa (who for some reason, wasn't in class today). It didn't help that Link looked agonized to be running with her too. She supposed from being in Military school in the Gerudo desert, he had been trained a lot. Gerudo women were extremely athletic, Urbosa was rippled with muscle, and played almost every sport you could name, and scaled mountains with ease. Zelda was a little jealous, although her pride would never let her admit it.

Their next period was Mechanics, Zelda's favourite. She tinkered with a lawn mower, and talked to Link about the subject. The words were practically gushing out of her mouth, and unbeknownst to her, Link smiled at her rambling.

The warning bell signaled the end of Mechanics, and with a frown, Zelda washed her hand's and walked to her locker with Link. She checked her phone, which was plagued with messages from her group chat with Urbosa, Revalli, Daruk, and Mipha.

It was a text from Urbosa. "Let's meet in the cafeteria, our usual spot."

The rest agreed with her, and Zelda started typing.

"I'll be there."

She shut off her phone and shoved it in her locker. "Alright Link, I'm going to the cafeteria." He nodded, and as she expected, followed her there.

Zelda exhaled shakily, somewhat nervous for them to meet her new _'friend'_.


	4. Rocky Start

Zelda and Link entered the cafeteria followed by the curious glances of their (well, Zelda's) peers.

Zelda dealt with them by just looking down, but Link matched every glare with one of his own, taking some students behind. The princess made her way to her usual table, that she sat at with her friends. A genuine smile finding it's way to her lips for the first time today.

"Zelly! It's you!" Urbosa roared, slightly too loud for Zelda's tastes. She gave her a short faux-annoyed glare, but if she noticed it, the Gerudo girl didn't show it.

"Hello Urbosa! And Mipha, Revali, Daruk. I'd like you to me-"

"Link? I-is that you?" Mipha asked, her voice meek, though slightly louder than usual. Link held back a smile and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Talk later, Mipha." He said gruffly. She didn't seem offended by his abrupt speech (like Zelda was), and politely smiled at him. Zelda looked between Mipha and Link. They know each other?

"So, who is this 'Link'?" Daruk asked, continuing after Revali let out a big 'sigh'. "Your boyfrien-?"

"Daruk! How is your project going?" Zelda interrupted, her voice pitched high. She pulled out a chair from the table, and hastily plopped down.

"Ah, dodging questions, are we?" Daruk chuckled, picking up a rock sirloin and beginning to chow down.

"Hey, stop being a dick, Daruk." Urbosa chided. "Zelly's shy." At this, Zelda's cheeks flared, she imagined they were redder than a tomato.. although her thick layer of makeup is probably covering that.

"Are you going to take a seat, Link? Or just stand there like a creep?" Revali asked mockingly. Zelda grumbled at his entitled, pompous voice. Link slowly dragged out a chair, and sat down, all the while staring Revali in the eyes.

Zelda and Link entered the cafeteria followed by the curious glances of their (well, Zelda's) peers. Zelda dealt with them by just looking down, but Link matched every glare with one of his own, taking some students behind.

The princess made her way to her usual table, that she sat at with her friends. A genuine smile finding it's way to her lips for the first time today.

"Zelly! It's you!" Urbosa roared, slightly too loud for Zelda's tastes. She gave her a short faux-annoyed glare, but if she noticed it, the Gerudu girl didn't show it.

"Hello Urbosa! And Mipha, Revali, Daruk. I'd like you to me-"

"Link? I-is that you?" Mipha asked, her voice meek, though slightly louder than usual. Link held back a smile and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Talk later, Mipha." He said gruffly. She didn't seem offended by his abrupt speech (like Zelda was), and politely smiled at him.

Zelda looked between Mipha and Link. They know each other?

"So, who is this 'Link'?" Daruk asked, continuing after Revali let out a big 'sigh'. "Your _boyfrien_ -?"

" _Daruk_! How is your _project_ going?" Zelda interrupted, her voice pitched high. She pulled out a chair from the table, and hastily plopped down.

"Ah, dodging questions, are we?" Daruk chuckled, picking up a rock sirloin and beginning to chow down.

"Hey, stop being a dick, Daruk." Urbosa chided. "Zelly's shy." At this, Zelda's cheeks flared, she imagined they were redder than a tomato.. _although her thick layer of makeup is probably covering tha_ t.

"Are you going to take a seat, Link? Or just stand there like a creep?" Revali asked mockingly. Zelda grumbled at his entitled, pompous voice. Link slowly dragged out a chair, and sat down, all the while staring Revali in the eyes.

"Um, so, who's excited for the prom this year?" Mipha meekly asked, hoping to break the tension everyone surely sensed. Urbosa turned towards her.

"Not necessarily, dances have never been my thing. What about you?" Urbosa responded, then she smirked. "Got any handsome young men on your card?" Mipha's cheeks burned.

"U-um no..." She squeaked. Her eyes stole a glance at Link, who was still having a staring completion with Revali.

"Ah that's fine. Daruk? What about you?" Urbosa followed up. He shook his head, never removing his eyes from his meal. She didn't dare ask Revalli, who was in the midst of an intense staring competition with Link, so she gestured towards Zelda.

"You, Princess?" Zelda scoffed.

"No. It's not like I have anyone to go with." She complained, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards Link. His eyes met hers for half a second, and she turned her head swiftly as if the sight of him burned. And in a way, it did. Zelda was still mildly attracted to her twenty-year old bodyguard, yet repulsed at the sight of him. Her cheeks reddened from the recollection of this morning, and she protectively folded her arms in front of her bosom.

She redirected her gaze to Urbosa, who was scrolling though her phone. Daruk was just picking at the last of his meal, Revali still staring link down ( _weren't they tired of this already?),_ and Mipha working on her biology project. She loved her friends, but this was just awkward.

"Um, I have to pick out some books at the library." Zelda announced, rising from her chair. "So, I'll see you guys later.?"

"Oh, yeah. You should come over tonight Zel, at Mipha's place. We were planning a sleepover." Zelda nearly laughed at that idea. _A sleepover? On schoolnight? As if my father would allow that._

"Uh, yeah, I'll see." She answered. Link slowly rose from his chair and joined Zelda. She gave one last smile to her friends and started for the library.

"So Link, how did you know Mipha?" She asked him after the exited the cafeteria. He scratched the back of his head _again_ , ( _A nervous tick maybe?)_ and didn't answer. Zelda's brows furrowed.

"Fine then, don't answer that." She muttered, "But at least tell me why you and Revali were acting so weird towards each other." Link sighed, and held open the door for Zelda as they approached the Library. The Librarian smiled at them, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, probably because Zelda never came here with others. Just as Zelda thought Link was going to ignore her question again, Link cleared his throat.

"I didn't like the look on his face." He stated simply before continuing, "As for Mipha, our fathers have been close friends for years, and as such, so have we." she smiled at him, grateful for an answer, albeit somewhat vague.

"Hey, I've noticed that you didn't eat anything." Link said. Zelda rolled her eyes. "You gotta eat y'know." She wondered why he was pressing this.

"Thanks mom." She said lamely. The bell rung, signifying it was time for class. She- _they_ had Biology, one of Zelda's favourite classes (though rated below Mechanics and History on her _Favourite Classes_ list).

They were assigned a project where they had to go to the beach and take a picture of an organism, and write a report about some of it's adaptations that helps it stay alive. On one part, Zelda was excited for the project. On the other hand, she dreaded it. She never toke selfies, just the view of herself in the camera made her want to cry.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, and she and Link were driving home in his clunky old red truck. She was itching to tinker with it, as older vehicles fascinated her more than recent ones.

"I have to ask my father for permission to go to the beach, so that we can finish the assignment." Zelda instructed. Link nodded his head. The truck rolled up the hill towards their garage, and he parked, looking at Zelda, waiting for her next move she supposed. She hopped out of the truck and headed towards her fathers study.

"Zelda! And Link, what can I do for you two?" Her father asked. His eyes glued to his desk, looked slightly pissed off. He was likely working all day, suggested by a whole stack of papers in front of him.

"Father, we- er, I have a project from biology, It involves going to the beach, and taking a picture of a living creature there, and then writing a report for it. Would be able t-"

"Yes yes. Be on your way now." He grunted, his eyes never leaving his papers. Zelda muttered a silent curse under her breath. Sometimes, she just wanted to slap her father, his uncaringness boiling Zelsa's blood. He was never like this before mother's death. She stomped her way upstairs to get ready, leaving Link in the hallway.

"Meet me at your truck in fifteen minutes. I have to, uh, get ready." She said. He left silently.

She went into the bathroom, dreading turning on the bathroom lights. Her makeup turned cakey, but her zits were mostly concealed. So all in all, _not that bad…_

She decided to start fresh, removing her makeup off with a wipe. She splashed some water on her face and put on a layer of foundation, concealer, and more concealer. Somewhat satisfied with herself, she went down to the truck where Link was standing, holding a grey backpack.

"Ready?" She asked. Link nodded, and hopped into the truck. They drove in silence to Hateno beach, Zelda feeling awkward the whole time.

"This used to be my favourite beach," Zelda mused. "I would come here all the time with my mother and father. I loved the sea stars." Link turned at her, a smile in his eyes. They hopped out and began to look for sea life. Luckily, the tide was out. Zelda hopped over rocks, giggling and turning over rocks, while Link stood (close) behind, watching her with a hidden, amused smile.

His heart nearly stopped when she gasped, and cupped something in her hands.

"Link! It's a razorclaw crab!" She exclaimed, shoving the poor crab into Link's face. He let out a small yelp and stumbled backwards, falling onto the rocks. Zelda nearly buckled over laughing.

"Link, are you alright?" She giggled. Link just let out a shaky exhale, and scratched the nape of his neck (Again!). Zelda extended her free hand for him to take, and pulled him up. She blushed at the feeling of his large hard covering hers, and shut out the thought.

"What do you think of the name, 'Sir Krabbington'?", she asked. "It's 'Krabbington' with a 'K', you know." Link smirked at her idea, and gave her a thumbs up.

He then pulled his iSlate out from his back pocket, and toke a photo. Zelda frowned. _It probably looks horrendous, but I don't want to look at it and ruin this moment.._

Zelda shrugged it off, and continued to poke at Sir Krabbington.

Link then decided to look for something he could take a picture with. He was down at the shoreline when he heard a scream (presumably Zelda's), that chilled his bones.

He turned to see a Yiga Clan member, identifiable by the red hood and haunting mask holding a knife to her throat, with two other members on either side. She looked at him hopelessly, trying not to breathe and let the knife cut her throat.

Within seconds, Link cleared the distance between him and Zelda, before the member on Zelda's right pulled out his gun, and aimed it at Link. He stopped immediately, regretting his decisions to leave his gun at the manor.

"One more step, and I'll cut her neck right now!" The Yiga with the knife called out. Link narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want, then, if you're not going to kill her now?" Link asked, his voice raw.

The three gang members chuckled, the sound making Zelda wince. "Well, I thought I'd test her out a bit first..." The one on Zelda's left called out, pinching her thigh, making her yelp.

"Hey, this one is mine." The Middle-One snarled. "If you behave, maybe I'll let you have a turn afterwards.." Link had to bite his tongue in order to stop himself from lashing out right then.

Link figured the odds were against him, and he was left stumped. Yes, only three Yiga members wouldn't normally be a problem for him, but when said thugs held his client under a knife, Link had to admit he was at extreme odds. He winced, the possibilities running wildly through his head.

 _I could shoot the Middle-One in the head, but his knife could slip and cut Zelda. Never mind the Right-One would probably shoot me in the head. I could shoot the Left-One or the Right-One, but that wouldn't do shit._ He noticed tears slipping down Zelda's face, and felt his heart wince. _Or, what about…_

"So, do I just shoot him or what?" The Left-One asked. The Middle-one nodded. "Heh. Any last words?" He asked, flipping the safety off of his pistol, and positioning his hand on the trigger.

Link knew he had only one minute to act. He gripped the bananas he held behind his back and threw them up in the air, watching the clans eyes follow up to the bananas, and the Left-One firing three shots at them. They suddenly moved to grab them, Zelda wincing all the while.

He pulled out his pocket knife and slashed the throat of the Middle-One, before stabbing the Left-One, who then released two more shots towards the ground, nearly hitting Zelda. Link ran his knife through the Right-One's neck. Their screams filled the air, along with a shriek from Zelda. Blood oozed from their slashes, and they convulsed on the ground.

Zelda collapsed to the ground, sobbing. She stared at the bleeding Yiga Clan, and then to Link. She seemed horrified of him, too, and he felt the warm, wet feeling of blood on his face.

"Are you alright?" Link asked, with a shaky exhale. Zelda just stared, and he noticed her face had blood on it too. She uneasily took his hand and he pulled her up.

"T-th…. Thank you…" She muttered. Link sighed.

"I just hope you're-" His sentence was cut off by a loud **_BANG,_** followed by a piercing scream from Link, and Zelda.

His arm stung, and the world went black for a couple of seconds. There was a _CLICK_ noise, and Link saw the Left-One, holding his gun in the direction of Link, helplessly pulling the trigger, producing more _CLICKS._

Link let out a maniacal laugh, and slowly hobbled over to the Yiga member.

"You already fired six shots, haven't you?" Link asked dryly. The Left-One then laughed with Link, blood gurgling from his mouth.

 _Ah, what a mess I've made_.

Link shook his head, gripping his knife, repulsed at the blood that was warming his fingers.

"Close your eyes, miss," Link ordered.

Zelda just heard the _SHINK_ and another gurgle of pain. Her heartbeat stalled again. She fearfully opened her eyes, to see Link hovered over one of the Bad-Man's body, and blood rapidly staining the sleeve of his right arm. He spat at the mess, then turned to her.

"L-Link, your arm.." She choked out weakly. He winced, and started for the truck.

"W-wait, Link.." She cried, and stumbled over to him. He grimaced as he opened the door to his truck. Zelda herself could barely open the passenger door, as all the feeling had escaped her fingers. He started up the ignition, and backed out quickly.

"Are we just going to … leave the bodies just, lying there..?" She asked meekly. Link grunted.

"Sets an example for the rest." He stated simply, as if he didn't care for the scene he left behind… Three bloody corpses, and some bananas.

Zelda let out a dry chuckle.

"What?" Link asked. Zelda looked out towards the beach.

"Who throws bananas at gang members?" Link looked at her, and found himself letting out a bit of laughter.

"Apparently I do," He answered.


End file.
